1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates in general to devices used to store a spare tire on a motor vehicle and, in particular, for storage of a spare tire on a truck.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Most light duty trucks, often referred to as pickup trucks, on the road today carry with them a spare tire and wheel mounted underneath the bed of the truck, generally near or against the underside of the truck frame. Most commonly, the spare tire is mounted horizontally in this location and held in place by a simple straight bracket running underneath the spare tire. The tire carrier provided by the truck manufacturer secures and supports the spare tire and mounts to the truck frame. Typically, the carrier is a bracket that is hinged from the truck frame at one end and bolted to the frame at the other end. The spare tire is removed from the truck by crawling beneath the truck and holding the spare tire and the carrier up while unbolting the bolted end of the bracket. After unbolting, the free end of the carrier is allowed to swing down to the ground, giving access to the spare tire which is normally secured to the carrier with bolts. After the spare tire has been unbolted from the carrier, it is manually dragged from beneath the truck.
This process has many disadvantages. Crawling beneath the truck and holding the carrier and spare tire up while unbolting the bracket with a wrench will almost always result in soiled hands and clothing. Oftentimes, the threaded, bolted connection is "frozen" due to mud or rust in the threads making it virtually impossible to loosen the bolted connection without twisting off the bolt. It also may be physically impossible for an aged or handicapped person, or a person lacking considerable physical strength, because the spare tire and carrier can be very heavy. This process can also result in physical injury, because the spare tire is usually unwieldy, and if it drops unexpectedly, it will usually drop on the person trying to remove it from the vehicle. Additionally, the tire must be unbolted from the bracket and then dragged from beneath the truck. This process requires much time, strength, and know-how, and exposes the person to considerable risk of physical injury and danger while beneath the truck. Furthermore, placement of a tire into the carrier requires the process be repeated in reverse order. Oftentimes, a jack may be required to lift the tire and carrier back into position so that the bolt may be secured. Finally, since removal of the spare tire from the truck is so troublesome, the spare tire will rarely have its air pressure checked, and it is often flat when most needed.
Several attempts have been made to devise a spare tire storage apparatus which makes the spare tire more easily accessible. Many of these still require crawling beneath the truck to release the tire or its carrier from the frame, or to manually pull the tire from beneath the truck. Some such devices require that the rear bumper of the truck, or a portion of the rear bumper, swing out of the way to allow the tire to pivot or slide from beneath the truck without being lowered.
Still others attempt to lower the tire first, such as by turning a bolt to screw the tire bracket downward, or by turning a rack and pinion gear set to lower the tire. Then, the tire is usually manually swung out from beneath the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle.
Certain conditions or situations make it desirable not only to loosen the carrier and spare tire without having to crawl beneath the truck but also to be able to access and remove the spare tire from either the rear or the side of the truck certain obstructions and design features of the truck may prohibit the removal of the spare tire from a certain side or the rear of the truck.
Prior patents which have realized these advantages to some degree are the Johnson U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,518 and the Beavers U.S. Pat. No. 3,648,867. These patents disclose carriers in which the tire can be rotated to the rear or to the sides of the truck. The carriers are positioned diagonally across the rear portion of the vehicle and require modifications to the truck during installation.
It would be desirable to have a spare tire carrier which is versatile to allow removal of the spare tire from either side or the rear of the truck without requiring considerable strength and manual dexterity on the part of the person, and a carrier which can be installed quickly and easily without the necessity of modifying the truck.